Spy chief defends Obama administration
In a statement, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr.
weighs in on the deadly assault on the U.S. mission in Libya.
(
by Greg Miller
, The Washington Post)

China’s currency rising against the dollar
The value of China’s yuan closed Friday near a record high against the
dollar, approaching what some analysts consider a fair market price and
potentially easing concerns that the country’s currency policy is
damaging the U.S. economy.
(
by Howard Schneider
, The Washington Post)

Romney attacked on Chinese investments
The Obama campaign says it is inappropriate for a presidential nominee to be investing so much money there.
(
by Philip Rucker and Jia Lynn Yang
, The Washington Post)

BofA to Pay $2.43 Billion to End Shareholder Suit Over Merrill
Bank of America Corp. agreed to a $2.43 billion settlement with
investors who suffered losses during its acquisition of Merrill Lynch
& Co., resolving one of the biggest legal battles to stem from the
takeover.
(
by Zachary Tracer and Bradley Keoun
Bloomberg News
, Bloomberg)

Spy chief defends Obama administration
In a statement, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr.
weighs in on the deadly assault on the U.S. mission in Libya.
(
by Greg Miller
, The Washington Post)

Bo Xilai ousted from Communist Party
Once-powerful official, accused of multiple crimes, purged from ranks in advance of leadership transition.
(
by William Wan
, The Washington Post)

June 30, 2012

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS Strong thunderstorms roll through D.C., bringing destructive winds and outages An extensive line of fast moving, violent thunderstorms rolled through the Washington, D.C. metro region late Friday. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the D.C. are and a large reason to the south and west through 1 a.m. As the line moved through, damaging wind gusts of nearly 80 mph were reported. (By Jason Samenow and Theodore Kim)

States consider health-care optionsHow the health-care law affirmed by the Supreme Court will affect you depends on where you live. Here’s a look at the situation in Maryland, Virginia and the District. (By Karen Tumulty and Laura Vozzella)

LOCALTwo killed as powerful storm leaves 1.5 million in D.C. region without power Woman was killed after a tree fell on her house and a man died when a tree collapsed into his car in Springfield. More than 1 million homes and businesses across Maryland and Virginia lost power, with temperatures on Saturday again expected to top 100 degrees. ( by Clarence Williams, Martin Weil and Ashley Halsey III , The Washington Post)

African American churches fight obesity African American congregations in the D.C. area and across the country have decided to give health and wellness the same priority as the word of God. ( by Hamil R. Harris , The Washington Post)

POLITICSStates consider health-care options How the health-care law affirmed by the Supreme Court will affect you depends on where you live. Here’s a look at the situation in Maryland, Virginia and the District. ( by Karen Tumulty and Laura Vozzella , The Washington Post)

STYLEEclectic songs from rising stars Four rising young singers from the Wolf Trap Opera Company presented an intimate, eclectic and individual program of music chosen to accompany paintings from the Phillips Collection. ( by Stephen Brookes , The Washington Post)

‘New Light’ new twist on repertory This year’s New Lights concert, on Thursday at the Clarice Smith Center’s Gildenhorn Hall, began with clapping, and ended with applause. ( by Anne Midgette , The Washington Post)

Torn up over TomKat? You’re not alone. The Washington Post style staffers share your lingering obsession over the now-defunct marriage of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Why? Because we have been captive to this sad circus for so wearyingly and unbelievably long. Because everyone will say they do not care about this, yet everyone will know and talk about this. And because it pains us that culture is like this, but we must observe it anyway, because, God help us, we’re only human. ( by Monica Hesse , The Washington Post)

SPORTSConger makes backstroke final Good Counsel’s Jack Conger, the 2011 and 2012 All-Met Boys’ Swimmer of the Year, advances to the finals of the men’s 200-meter backstroke at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials. (, The Washington Post)

The ‘Beast’ comes out to play in Atlanta Michael Morse continues his recent tear at the plate, going 4 for 4 while clubbing the decisive home run in the eighth inning as Washington holds on to edge the Braves. ( by James Wagner , The Washington Post)

Seeking the psychological edge Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps continue their duel in Omaha to set the stage for a pivotal showdown Saturday in the 200 medley final. ( by Amy Shipley , The Washington Post)

WORLDU.S. urges China to avoid censorship Bloomberg Web site was blocked after it published an investigative story on wealth amassed by relatives of expected new leader. ( by William Wan and Keith Richburg , The Washington Post)

Morsi defiant on eve of taking office First big public address by Egypt’s new president since his election appeared aimed at ruling generals. ( by Ernesto Londoño and Haitham Mohamed , The Washington Post)

Holder won’t be prosecuted The Justice Department confirms that it will not prosecute Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. for contempt of Congress. ( by Sari Horwitz , The Washington Post)

Iran feels pinch of new sanctions New E.U. and U.S. sanctions are hurting Iran, but experts question whether the end game will work. ( by Jason Rezaian and Joby Warrick , The Washington Post)

June 29, 2011

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS Kabul hotel attacked by suicide bombersA squad of bombers and gunmen attacked a landmark hotel in the Afghan capital late Tuesday, exploding a vehicle at its gate and then entering the building. (By Pamela Constable)

D.C. seeks foothold in online gamblingD.C. officials are scrambling to launch an online casino in the city, which is the first jurisdiction in the United States to sanction Internet gambling. (By Michael Laris)

Matching Supreme Court justices The Supreme Court term that ended Monday appeared to make clear that Bush and Obama got what they hoped for when they nominated the justices who will shape the court’s future. ( by Robert Barnes , The Washington Post)

June 20, 2011

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS McIlroy captures history at CongressionalRory McIlroy posts the lowest mark in tournament history, shooting a final-round 69 for a total of 16-under 268, as he runs away with the 111th U.S. Open. (By Barry Svrluga)

CEO Pay: What the area’s executives makeHefty stock awards and bonuses drove total compensation up over 20 percent for Washington’s highest-paid chief executives last year, reflecting a nationwide trend among the largest public companies. (By Danielle Douglas)

STYLEAsk Amy: Words of love, uttered and ... forgotten? During a weekend outing, her boyfriend told her he loved her, would marry her “in a week” and wanted her to have his baby. The next day, he couldn’t remember what he said. Yes, there was drinking involved. (, Tribune Media Service)

Hints From Heloise: Special guest request Heloise asks: Is it fair to ask for unusual, specialty or hard-to-find food items when you are a guest in someone’s home? Readers, what do you have to say? (, King)

Calm by the green, crazed by the pitch At the U.S. Open and the Gold Cup, vastly dissimilar cultures were on display — entirely different, yet very much the same. ( by Rick Maese , The Washington Post)

FTC vs. National Gallery Republican lawmaker’s push to have the National Gallery take over the historic FTC building has sparked a turf battle in Washington. ( by Ned Martel , The Washington Post)

Sunday's Sports In Brief BETHESDA, Md. — On another brilliant day of golf, Rory McIlroy ran away with the U.S. Open title, winning by eight shots and breaking the tournament scoring record by a whopping four strokes. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

WORLDReports: Japan's prime minister under pressure to resign next month TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, criticized for his handling of the tsunami disaster and the country’s sluggish economy, is under pressure to resign next month if budget bills are passed by parliament, reports said Monday. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

White House report on Libya does little to soothe anger among lawmakers on Capitol Hill WASHINGTON — The White House is vigorously defending President Barack Obama’s right to keep the U.S. military engaged in Libya without seeking congressional approval, a move that appears to have done little to soothe anger among Republican lawmakers and anti-war Democrats over the president’s consultations with Congress during the nearly three month-long campaign. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Miss Manners: Who wins in ‘culture’ clash? Dear Miss Manners: When cultural differences result in different expectations of the hostess and guest obligations, to whose culture should we defer; the hostess’s or the guest’s? (, United Media)

Romney will skip Iowa straw poll in AugustFormer Massachusetts governor, widely regarded as the front-runner in the GOP presidential race, has decided not to participate in this year’s Iowa straw poll nor any other early tests in advance of the 2012 primaries and caucuses, his campaign announced Thursday night. (By Philip Rucker and Chris Cillizza)

Senate legislation may slow, but quorums continueThe old ritual of calling senators to the Senate floor to bide time, “quorum calls,” has increased dramatically. Meanwhile, the amount of legislative business the body conducts is down. (By David A. Fahrenthold)

An embassy-in-exileAmerican diplomats who evacuated from Libya are still working — in a makeshift mission at the State Department. (By Mary Beth Sheridan)

Redistricting stalemate in Virginia The GOP-controlled Virginia House of Delegates and the Democratic-led state Senate approved conflicting plans for redistricting. ( by Rosalind S. Helderman , The Washington Post)

Ask Amy: Learning the truth about the past I come from a very large family — eight sisters and three brothers. By the time I was 8, my father and mother had both died. I went to live with my oldest sister (also the oldest child in the family) and her husband and his son. (, Tribune Media Service)

Hints From Heloise: Sanitizing a spa tub I am requesting a suggestion for deep-cleaning or sanitizing my spa tub. I’ve just cleaned it and scrubbed the jets with an old toothbrush. I want to be certain that all bacteria is gone so I can feel good about getting in my spa tub. (, King)

SPORTSThursday's Sports In Brief OSLO, Norway — Usain Bolt ran the fastest time in the world this season as he eased to victory in the 200 meters at a Diamond League meet, while Caster Semenya finished third behind Halima Hachlaf in the 800 meters. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Gates says NATO has a ‘dim’ future BRUSSELS — America’s military alliance with Europe — the cornerstone of U.S. security policy for six decades — faces a “dim, if not dismal” future, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday in a blunt valedictory address. ( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)

Karzai arrives in Pakistan for reconciliation talks Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived in Islamabad Friday for talks with top Pakistani leaders amid cautious hopes that the two nations can forge a coordinated strategy for reconciling with insurgents. ( by Griff Witte and Pamela Constable , The Washington Post)

April 14, 2011

A Man, A Plan, A DeficitPresident Obama outlined his plan for tackling the national debt Wednesday, drawing on liberal values and proposing tax cuts for the rich.Read original story in New York Times | Thursday, April 14, 2011

FAA Ends Solo Air Traffic Night ShiftsAfter another incident of a controller nodding off, federal authorities now insist each night shift must be a sleepover with more than one controller at the party.Read original story in Washington Post | Thursday, April 14, 2011

States Seek to Ban Animal Farm ExposesUndercover photos and videos are a favored tool of animal advocates looking to reveal squalid conditions and inhumane practices. Some states want to make them illegal, because not all animals are equal.Read original story in New York Times | Thursday, April 14, 2011

Blogger Sues Huffington PostAriana Huffington is a "robber baron" who has made millions off the backs of unpaid bloggers, says one contributer who's filed suit against the site.Read original story in Los Angeles Times | Wednesday, April 13, 2011

April 11, 2011

Obama To Deliver Deficit-Reduction Speech WednesdaySenior adviser David Plouffe told the Sunday shows that the president will outline his plan to reduce federal budget deficits and debt, including a call for wealthier Americans to pay more taxes.Read original story in USA Today | Sunday, April 10, 2011

Qaddafi Agrees to Peace PlanLibya's leader has agreed to the African Union's proposed cease-fire and "dialogue." But rebels say they will accept nothing less than the despot's resignation.Read original story in Washington Post | Monday, April 11, 2011

Concern Grows Over Debt Ceiling VoteIf it was so difficult to reach a deal on a budget until September that cut $38 billion, many are growing worried about the possibility that a divided Washington won't be able to agree on raising the current $14.25 trillion federal debt ceiling.Read original story in The New York Times | Sunday, April 10, 2011

General McChrystal is BackAfter dismissing McChrystal following his Rolling Stone debacle, Obama has asked the former Afghanistan commander to lead a program for military families. Read original story in New York Times | Monday, April 11, 2011

U.N. Hammers Ivory Coast PresidentPresident Laurent Gbagbo is vying for the title of most tenacious dictator, which means the U.N. and France have started bombarding his forces again.Read original story in CNN | Monday, April 11, 2011

Unusual Device Led To Confusion in Synagogue BlastFirst, officials said it was a bomb, then they said it was an accident, and now it's a bomb again. Part of the issue had to do with the fact that the explosive was layered under hundreds of pounds of concrete, making it difficult to identify.Read original story in The Los Angeles Times | Sunday, April 10, 2011

Mubarak Denies he Was a Corrupt PresidentIn his first comments since he was ousted from the Egyptian presidency, Hosni Mubarak denied he had abused his power and vowed to cooperate in any investigation.Read original story in Al Jazeera | Sunday, April 10, 2011

April 07, 2011

Budget Dispute Drags onObama, Boehner, and Reid met for 90 minutes in the Oval Office on Wednesday, and say they are inching closer to a deal.Read original story in New York Times | Thursday, April 7, 2011

Fox Drops Glenn BeckDing-dong! The demagogic host announced his departure from Fox News Wednesday, but not before likening himself to Paul Revere.Read original story in Los Angeles Times | Thursday, April 7, 2011

Qaddafi to Obama: Be My Pen Pal?"Our dear son, Excellency, Baraka Hussein Abu oumama, your intervention is the name of the U.S.A. is a must," the Libyan dictator wrote in a letter.Read original story in AP | Thursday, April 7, 2011

Berlusconi to Bunga Bunga Another DayBoth the Italian Prime Minister and his alleged escort, "Ruby Heartstealer," skipped their first day in court. The trial will resume May 31.Read original story in NPR | Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Will Giffords Run for Senate?Supporters are discussing the possibility that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who is still in hospital, could return to politics as a U.S. senator.Read original story in New York Times | Thursday, March 31, 2011

HIV Vaccine to Start Trials Within a YearThe new vaccine, comprised of synthetic, computer-generated sequences of proteins, could be a breakthrough in the more than 20-year struggle to find a way to prevent AIDS.Read original story in The Daily Mail | Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Japan Plant Repair DelayedWorkers are trying to repair a ventilation system in the plant and channel enough power to a cable connected to reactor No. 2.Read original story in New York Times | Monday, March 21, 2011

Wyclef Jean Shot in HaitiThe pop star was grazed by a bullet as he campaigned for fellow musician Michel Martelly in the Haitian presidential election.Read original story in CNN | Monday, March 21, 2011

AT&T Buys T-Mobile for $39 BillionThe deal will make AT&T the biggest wireless carrier in the United States. It also means trouble for competitors and workers as AT&T consolidates the two companies. Read original story in Wall Street Journal | Monday, March 21, 2011

Knut Is DeadThe star polar bear of the Berlin Zoo died suddenly on Saturday, aged 4, as hundreds of tourists looked on in horror.Read original story in AP | Monday, March 21, 2011

The Congressman from Koch?Kansas Congressman Mike Pompeo received more money from Koch Industries than any other politician in 2010. Liberal groups say he's now pushing Koch-friend legislation in the House.Read original story in Washington Post | Monday, March 21, 2011

When Maggie Met JimmyA new trove of letters and documents suggest that hard-nosed British leader Margaret Thatcher was surprisingly chummy with President Jimmy Carter.Read original story in The Associated Press | Saturday, March 19, 2011

February 07, 2011

Egypt Makes New Concessions to ProtestersAfter meeting with a number of representatives of opposition groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's vice president vowed to allow a free press, lift the emergency laws and set up a committee to study reforms.Read original story in The Associated Press | Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011

AOL Buys Huffington PostThe $315 million deal will put Huffington Post founder Ariana Huffington at the head of editorial content for both companies.Read original story in Los Angeles Times | Monday, Feb. 7, 2011

Obama and O'Reilly Face OffPolitico reports the two "seemed to enjoy each other's company" during a pre-Super Bowl interview.Read original story in Politico | Monday, Feb. 7, 2011

U.S. Special Envoy Embarrasses AdministrationThe White House's envoy to Europe shocked Western leaders in Munich when he seemed to speak fondly of Egypt's president, underscoring the disagreements that exist in Washington over how to proceed.Read original story in The Guardian | Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011

Americans in Iran Deny Spying Charges in CourtTwo men held in Iran for the last 18 months pleaded not guilty, insisting they were hiking in the mountains of northern Iraq when they inadvertently crossed an unmarked border.Read original story in Reuters | Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011

User-Generated Ads Score at Super Bowl A Doritos dog ad and a Pepsi MAX commercial made on the cheap by ordinary people won competitions for the coveted Super Bowl spots. Meanwhile, Groupon bombed with its off-color ad about Tibet.Read original story in USA Today | Monday, Feb. 7, 2011

SOTU Response: Ryan Warns of America's DeclineThe telegenic, young(ish) chair of the House budget committee warned that "America's best century will be considered our past century" if government deficits are not reduced.Read original story in CBS | Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011

Bachmann's SOTU Rebuttal BlunderCNN was the only network to air Rep. Michele Bachmann's Tea Party response to the State of the Union live. Unfortunately she never looked into CNN's camera.Read original story in Politico | Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011

Illinois Supreme Court Will Rule on RahmThe state's high court agreed to hear Rahm Emanuel's appeal on whether he's qualified to run for mayor of Chicago, and ordered the city not to print any ballots without Emanuel's name on them. Read original story in The Chicago Tribune | Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011

Embassy Bomber Sentenced to Life in PrisonAhmed Khalfan Ghailani, the first former Guantanamo to be tried in civilian court in the U.S., was sentenced to life in prison for participating in the 1998 embassy bombings that killed more than 200 people. Read original story in BBC | Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011

Obama's Approval Ratings UpWhile Sarah Palin's popularity hits an all-time low, President Obama is gaining support in the lead-up to next week's State of the Union.Read original story in Wall Street Journal | Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011

UK Bans Pastor Terry "Burn A Koran" Jones Jones tried to organize a mass burning of the Koran on the most recent anniversary of 9/11. The Brits aren't too keen on him promoting his book, Islam Is of the Devil, in the UK.Read original story in CNN | Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011

NASA Swaps Astronaut After Bike Accident Timothy Kopra will no longer be part of the crew piloting the space shuttle Discovery next month after falling off his bike. In related troubles, NASA has already selected a backup commander of the Endeavour to step into the boots of commander Mark Kelly, husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Read original story in AP | Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011

Philadelphia Abortion Doc Charged With MurderDr. Kermit Gosnell, who performed late-term abortions in West Philadelphia for decades, allegedly severed babies' spinal cords with scissors after they were born alive and operated on women in conditions so dangerous that one of them died.Read original story in CBS Philly | Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011

Giffords Will Leave Hospital FridayLess than two weeks after being shot in the head, the congresswoman will leave Tucson for a Houston rehabilitation hospital.Read original story in Politico | Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011

Peace Corps Founder Sargent Shriver DiesThe brother-in-law to the Kennedys was a paragon of Big Government idealism, presiding over the Peace Corps and president Johnson's "War on Poverty."Read original story in Time | Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011

Are Statins Like Lipitor Overrated?Chloresterol-lowering drugs are a cash cow for drug companies but researchers say the medications may not benefit those at low risk of heart disease. Read original story in Reuters | Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011

Goldman's Partners: Rich and MaleBeyond the bank's top execs lie Goldman Sachs' 475 partners, who stand to make a fortune off of company stock options. Only 13 percent of them are women. Read original story in The New York Times | Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011

Haiti Charges Baby Doc With Corruption, TheftThe former dictator said he returned to Haiti to help his country, but instead he's being held accountable for the harm he inflicted 25 years ago. Read original story in BBC | Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011

December 17, 2010

WASHINGTON — A massive bipartisan tax package preventing a big New Year's Day tax hike for millions of Americans is on its way to President Barack Obama for his signature Friday.

The measure would extend tax cuts for families at every income level, renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and enact a new one-year cut in Social Security taxes that would benefit nearly every worker who earns a wage.

The president is expected to sign the bill Friday afternoon.

In a remarkable show of bipartisanship, the House gave final approval to the measure just before midnight Thursday, overcoming an attempt by rebellious Democrats who wanted to impose a higher estate tax than the one Obama agreed to. The vote was 277-148, with each party contributing an almost identical number of votes in favor (the Democrats, 139 and the Republicans, 138).

In a rare reach across party lines, Obama negotiated the $858 billion package with Senate Republicans. The White House then spent the past 10 days persuading congressional Democrats to go along, providing a possible blueprint for the next two years, when Republicans will control the House and hold more seats in the Senate.

"There probably is nobody on this floor who likes this bill," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. "The judgment is, is it better than doing nothing? Some of the business groups believe it will help. I hope they're right."

Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., said that with unemployment hovering just under 10 percent and the deadline for avoiding a big tax hike fast approaching, lawmakers had little choice but to support the bill.

This is just no time to be playing games with our economy," said Camp, who will become chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee in January. "The failure to block these tax increases would be a direct hit to families and small businesses."

Sweeping tax cuts enacted when George W. Bush was president are scheduled to expire Jan. 1 — a little more than two weeks away. The bill extends them for two years, placing the issue squarely in the middle of the next presidential election, in 2012.

The extended tax cuts include lower rates for the rich, the middle class and the working poor, a $1,000-per-child tax credit, tax breaks for college students and lower taxes on capital gains and dividends. The bill also extends through 2011, a series of business tax breaks designed to encourage investment that expired at the end of 2009.

Workers' Social Security taxes would be cut by nearly a third, going from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent, for 2011. A worker making $50,000 in wages would save $1,000; one making $100,000 would save $2,000.

"This legislation is good for growth, good for jobs, good for working and middle class families, and good for businesses looking to invest and expand their work force," said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Some Democrats complained that the package is too generous to the wealthy; Republicans complained that it doesn't make all the tax cuts permanent.

December 02, 2010

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is holding out for an extension of unemployment assistance and of a variety of expiring tax breaks for low-wage and middle-income workers as part of a deal with Congressional Republicans to extend all the Bush-era tax cuts.

But it is unclear how much leverage the White House has in the tax negotiations, given the drubbing Democrats took in the midterm elections, the tight Congressional calendar and a threat by Senate Republicans to block any legislation until the tax fight is resolved.

In a symbolic nod to President Obama’s pledge to let the tax cuts on upper-income brackets expire on Dec. 31, as scheduled by law, the House on Thursday approved a bill to continue the lower tax rates enacted during the Bush administration for Americans they described as “middle class.” The vote was 234 to 188, with three Republicans joining 231 Democrats in favor; 20 Democrats and 168 Republicans were opposed.

The bill, however, has no chance of passage in the Senate, where even some Democrats say the tax cuts should be extended for everyone, at least temporarily, given the continued weakness in the economy.

Senate Democratic leaders scheduled their own symbolic votes for Saturday, intending to demonstrate their desire to end the tax cuts for the rich.

Republicans, meanwhile, expressed dismay at the posturing by Democrats, which they said was delaying the inevitable and even getting in the way of a potential deal on aid for millions of unemployed Americans whose benefits have started to run out.

Administration officials said no deal was at hand, and negotiators from the administration and the two parties in Congress met only briefly on Thursday. It is possible that the parties will be unable to reach a compromise, in which case tax rates will revert at the end of this year to their pre-2001 levels, meaning an across the board tax increase. However, the Treasury could be directed to keep the current rates while negotiations continue.

But the sense within both parties was that Democrats were essentially negotiating the terms of their major retreat on an issue that they once considered a slam-dunk on both substantive and political levels.

Senior Senate Republican aides said that an extension of all the income tax cuts was a foregone conclusion, but that a deal on jobless aid was possible if Democrats agreed to cover the cost. Democrats expressed indignation that Republicans were insisting on finding spending cuts to offset the unemployment benefits while being perfectly willing to add to the national debt the $700 billion cost of continuing the tax cuts on the highest incomes for the next decade. CONTINUE READING..

November 30, 2010

Comcast Corp. has begun imposing a fee on Internet middleman Level 3 Communications Inc., one of the companies that Netflix Inc. has hired to deliver movies and TV shows to Web customers.

Comcast, the largest U.S. cable TV company, has set up an Internet "toll booth," charging Level 3 whenever customers request content, the Colorado-based company said Monday.

Level 3 plans to complain to U.S. regulators who may enact so-called net-neutrality rules next month. The Federal Communications Commission is seeking to bar phone and cable providers from interfering with legal traffic on their networks. The rules are backed by President Barack Obama and companies led by Google Inc., EBay Inc. and IAC/InterActiveCorp. Phone and cable companies say rules aren't needed and may hurt investment.

"This action by Comcast threatens the open Internet and is a clear abuse of the dominant control that Comcast exerts in broadband access," Thomas Stortz, Level 3's chief legal officer, said in the statement. "With this action, Comcast is preventing competing content from ever being delivered to Comcast's subscribers at all, unless Comcast's unilaterally determined toll is paid."

Comcast, which is seeking regulatory approval to acquire majority ownership of NBC Universal, defended the fee in a statement, saying it is based on "long established and mutually acceptable commercial arrangements" with Level 3's peers.

Traffic Jam?

Level 3 is preparing to more than double the traffic it puts on the cable provider's network and has tried to pressure the company into accepting it for free, Joe Waz, Comcast's senior vice president for external affairs, said in an e-mailed statement.

Level 3 announced on Nov. 11 that it will carry films and TV shows for the Web streaming service offered by Netflix.

Netflix accounts for more than a fifth of the traffic downloaded during the peak hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the U.S., according to a report from broadband network company Sandvine Inc. Level 3 has said it will add capacity to its network to handle the extra load from Netflix's movies.

Jen Howard, a spokeswoman at the FCC, and Steve Swasey, a spokesman for Netflix, declined to comment.

Comcast fell 27 cents to $19.94 at 9:38 a.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. Shares of the Philadelphia-based company had gained 20 percent this year before today. Level 3, down 35 percent this year, fell 2 cents to 98 cents. Netflix, based in Los Gatos, California, lost $1.86 to $197.06.

Genachowski

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, in proposing net neutrality rules last year, called for a principle of non- discrimination by Internet-service providers. The FCC will meet on Dec. 21.

Public Knowledge and the Media Access Project, two Washington-based advocacy groups, backed Level 3 yesterday. The groups said the request for payment to carry Level 3 traffic shows the need for stronger net neutrality legislation and more scrutiny of Comcast's NBC deal.

Comcast is seeking to buy 51 percent of NBC from General Electric Co. and needs FCC and Justice Department approval to complete the deal, which was announced almost one year ago.

Critics, such as Representative Rick Boucher, a Virginia Democrat and head of a U.S. House panel on communications, are concerned that a merger would restrict customers' access to content, particularly programs available online.

Zoom's Complaint

Also yesterday, Boston-based Zoom Telephonics Inc. told the FCC that Comcast requires unreasonable tests of modems used to connect to the Internet. Zoom asked the FCC to set aside Comcast's testing regime.

Comcast didn't ask Zoom to submit to testing that is any different than what it asks of other cable modem manufacturers, Sena Fitzmaurice, a Washington-based spokeswoman for Comcast, said in an e-mailed message.

"Comcast wants to make sure devices our customers purchase at retail will work well and are safe," Fitzmaurice said.

September 2012

Comments Policy

The opinions expressed on the blog are the personal opinions of the posted respective blogger(s), and in no way reflect the opinions of KIRO blogspot and its affiliate social networks.

Comments Policy

Comments are welcomed and encouraged on this site, but there are some instances where comments will be edited or deleted as follows: Comments deemed to be spam or questionable spam will be deleted. Including a link to relevant content is permitted, but comments should be relevant to the post topic. Comments including profanity will be deleted. Comments containing language or concepts that could be deemed offensive will be deleted.
Comments that attack a person individually will be deleted.
The owner of this blog reserves the right to edit or delete any comments submitted to this blog without notice. This comment policy is subject to change at anytime.